The field of my invention is Sheet Lifters as used with multi ring sheet or page holders and multi ring binders. In the past various devices have been used to solve the page jamming or impingement problem that occurs when the holder or binder is closed after being opened. This is an invention that solves the page jamming/impingement problem caused when loose-leaf binders are closed. As most people know, the sheets or pages tend to slide around the rings to lay flat on the front and back covers of the holder or binder when the holder or binder is in the open or use position. When the holder or binder is closed (moving the covers to the closed position) the sheets or pages resist movement around the rings due to friction and are held captive between the ring(s) and cover(s) requiring an additional step by the user to slide the sheets or pages up the rings to a point above the horizontal, then the holder or binder may be closed with the sheets or pages assuming their stored or closed position. Often the step of sliding the sheets or pages up the rings to the point above the horizontal is ignored, forgotten or not thought of with the resulting friction causing damage to the sheets or pages. This problem has been inherent in ring mechanisms that are commonly used in loose-leaf binders since their inception.
We have all experienced the page jamming that occurs when closing a loose-leafbinder. With the pages laid out on the front and back covers, unless the user manually moves the pages up and toward the top center of the ring, it is virtually impossible to close such a binder without the pages/sheets being caught or jammed under the right and left sides of the ring mechanism by the cover(s). This jamming also causes pages to tear and fall out of binders.
For years companies have made sheet lifter devices of various kinds and shapes to solve this problem without success. The size of the loose-leaf market and the resultant size of the problem is evidence that there is no current solution to this problem.
An object of the invention is to provide a Sheet Lifter that is able to allow the sheets or pages to move freely from the use position when the binder is open to the stored position when the binder is closed.
A further object of the invention is to provide a Sheet Lifter that permits free movement of the sheets or pages and eliminates damage to the sheets or pages when the binder is opened and closed.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a Sheet Lifter that is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.
A yet further object of the invention is to provide a Sheet Lifter that may be used in conjunction with some of the currently existing Sheet Lifters type devices that are on the market without modification.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a Sheet Lifter that may be added to existing holders and binders that are already loaded with sheets or pages without modification or the need to un-load the sheets or pages from the holder or binder.